Observations of a Land-owning Hunter

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Do High Gas Prices Mean Fewer Mallards in 2008?

Looks like ethanol production is causing more than just a shortage of corn for cattle feed. Not only is the price of gas going up, but so is the price of food. Increased food prices means more corn and wheat production this year.

These prices are good for farmers, in fact they may be too good as far as duck hunters are concerned. As corn and wheat prices rise, farmers till and seed more and more marginal ground. The news from Ducks Unlimited is that North Dakota alone will lose about 15% of its Conservation Reserve Program lands to tilling this year.

Therefore, a couple million acres of habitat will be put back into production. With changes on this scale, Ducks Unlimited is concerned that duck populations will be drastically impacted.

Without habitat for nesting and water for brood survival, ducks perish. Will we see a reduction in duck numbers and bag limits this coming season?

I guess we’ll find out next falll, but a reduction in duck numbers is probably what radio personality Tony Bruno calls “a stone-cold lock” or maybe its just a lead-pipe cinch.